Harry Potter and the Forging of a Sword
by DeBrevitateVitae
Summary: Following the death of his godfather, Harry begins to question his life. He begins to take initiative. He wants to learn and to grow. He is done acting like a child. Harry Potter will be a force to be reckoned with. Independent!Harry. Pairings have not been decided yet.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I wish I did. Despite that, I hope you enjoy my spin on it.

Chapter 1:

"_A mystery, and a dream, should my early life seem." – Edgar Allen Poe_

Harry Potter was alone. So, incredibly alone. At least that is how he felt. How could he not? Witnessing the death of the only family you ever had, would do that to you. It had only been two weeks since the death of Sirius Black, since Harry's godfather had fallen through the veil. In that two weeks Harry had cried more than ever before, but soon that sadness, that pain had grown into anger.

In the beginning he blamed himself. After all, it had been his idea to go rescue Sirius. It was Harry's idea to leave the school, to break into the Ministry, to transverse the Department of Mysteries and the dreadful Hall of Prophecies. He hadn't been dealing with the guilt well. Thoughts of what had happened harassed him day after day, and at night they invaded his dreams. At first he had considered it a curse, his mind had become a prison, but prison does always leave a person with a different outlook on life. It certainly did that for Harry.

All of the thoughts, all of the concerns led Harry to question so much in his life. In how many ways could the death of Sirius Black have been prevented? Whose responsibility was it truly? How else had those people let him down? Why had he been so unprepared, uneducated? Rage boiled inside of him, rage towards one man, Albus Dumbledore.

Harry had been a devout follower of the "Leader of the Light" for so long. He had done everything asked of him. Harry bent to the man's will. Dumbledore returned none of the dedication. All of his thoughts regarding the death of Sirius had led Harry to reconsider the role Dumbledore had played in his life.

Abandoned on the doorstep in the cold of the night, left to live with his mother's sister and Petunia's family, Harry grew up neglected, despised and abused. Never knowing magic, but being hated for it. The worst part about it was knowing that it could have been prevented. Dumbledore should have known that Sirius wasn't the secret keeper. Even if he didn't the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot should have ensured the man received a trial. Harry should have at least been checked on, but he wasn't.

Exposure to the Wizarding World continued Harry's problems. Hagrid had been his first contact with magic, and despite his fondness for the part-giant teacher, Harry did not feel that the man was well suited to acclimating someone to the world of magic. As soon as he got to school he faced peril and the troubles never ceased. First year Voldemort had been allowed in the school in attempt to steal the philosopher's stone. It had been up to Harry and his friends to prevent him from getting it. Second year a Basilisk roamed the halls intending to kill students, again it came down to Harry, still a child, to resolve the situation. Third year Dementors, allowed on the school grounds by the Headmaster, assaulted Harry on several occasions. Without Professor Lupin teaching him the patronus charm Harry would not have survived his third year. In fourth year a madman impersonating a teacher forced Harry to compete in the deadly Triwizard tournament. Harry really didn't understand this one, Dumbledore was suppose to be a good friend of Moody. How didn't the man see through the ploy? Dumbledore's negligence ended up costing Cedric Diggory his life and resulted in Voldemort's resurrection. Finally, fifth year had been a travesty, centered around a prophecy. If Harry had been allowed to hear the prophecy from the beginning then Sirius would not have died, Arthur Weasley wouldn't have been attacked, and Harry wouldn't have put everyone he loves in danger. Add on top of that the presence of Dolores Umbridge within Hogwarts and Snape's lessons in "remedial potions" (occlumency) fifth year had been a travesty.

Harry wouldn't stand for it anymore. If he had his way, he would no longer be submitted to the whims of the old man. Voldemort had Harry in the cross-hairs and he had to be ready. Far behind Voldemort, in age, in experience, in knowledge, Harry needed to catch up. He needed to reevaluate his life and his decisions. He was limited though. He was held up in his family's home, unable to do magic, unable to leave. Things were going to stay like that for the foreseeable future.

He didn't have many options. Fortunately an agreement had been made between Harry and his relatives. In reality "threat" might be more accurate than "agreement." Members of the Order had ensured that Harry's family left him alone. In fear of magic and certainly in fear of Mad-Eye his relatives complied with the stipulations. They would stay away from him and he would stay in his room, only leaving to go to the bathroom and to grab food. The alone time gave Harry several advantages. Not having chores to do left him a large amount of time to study. His family would leave him alone. He would be uninterrupted.

Limited by his inability to do magic, Harry decided to focus on theory. When he originally decided to take Divination and Care for Magical Creatures he wanted the easy path. He made a mistake. He couldn't take the classes or the OWL, but he could study courses independently, courses like Arithmancy and Runes. Runes required magic to use, but very little and not enough to inhibit his basic study of the subject. Independent occlumency study was on the schedule too. He wouldn't be able to test it against anyone's legilimency, but maybe he could try to start somewhere. He also wanted to check out his year six books early. It would allow him to get a head start, if he couldn't perform the magic he could at least read about the theory and the memorize the spells. Within moments of the idea occurring to him the order was out to Flourish and Blotts. Now he waited.

Waiting was taking longer than expected. At least that is how it seemed to Harry. He wanted to be doing something. The waiting made him antsy and his body jittery. He needed something to do. Often times he would go flying on his broom when his body got like this, or during the summer his regular chores managed to satisfy the urges. He decided he would do what exercises he could within the confines of his room. He started with stretches then basic pushups and sit-ups. Those didn't last very long so he decided to go for a run. On leaving his Aunt began to speak, shout really, but she quickly stopped, apparently deciding that Harry's antics were not worth her time.

Harry gently jogged along the walks of Little Whinging, Surrey. He didn't wander far. He couldn't while knowing the odds of an Order Member watching him. Nonetheless he enjoyed the run. It calmed him and allowed him to stop the flow of his stream of thoughts. _Maybe I need to do this more often. _Something about being outside felt right to him, felt natural. Despite being in the center of a residential area Harry still felt as if he could feel life teeming around him. He halted his run at a small park not far from number four. Having worn himself out Harry decided to lie down in the grass. The feel of the blades on his skin, the scent of the air that hung around him, they made him feel alive. More alive than he had felt in some time.

"Wotcher, Harry Potter!" The voice startled Harry. His body tensed and he shot up to find a small woman, with light blonde hair, vibrant blue eyes and alabaster skin.

"Who are you?" Harry made a move towards his wand, only to find it missing. He left it at the house and was now deeply regretting that decision.

"Really, Harry? You can't tell? What a shame. I would show you, but you know, muggles and all kind of prevent me from changing."

Then it clicked for him. "Hello, Nymphadora." A wry grin crept across the boy's face as the name flowed from his lips.

"Don't you dare call me that!" Her face began to turn a light pink. Whether it did that in embarrassment or in anger Harry was not sure.

"How are you, Tonks? Stuck with guard duty today?"

"Volunteered actually. I am pretty good. You? Did you enjoy your run?"

"You volunteered? Why would you do that?"

"Well, I was asked to deliver something to you. Something you may be needing very soon." The young auror reached out, a small card in hand. Harry quickly took it, curiosity getting the best of him.

The card read:

_Andromeda and Ted Tonks_

_Magical Solicitors_

_#52 Diagon Alley, London, England_

"Doing your parents a favor, Tonks? What do I need a solicitor for?"

"Doing a favor for Sirius, Harry." That struck him. Hard.

"Nymphadora Tonks, you had best be telling me the truth! What in Merlin's name would Sirius want me to have a solicitor for?"

Tonks began to slowly walk towards the trees. "That, I suppose, you will find out very soon. Try not to be too startled, she does bare an uncanny resemblance to Bellatrix." Tonks ducked behind a couple of trees as she finished her statement.

"Who, does? What are you talking about, Tonks?" He heard a soft pop and Nymphadora Tonks left, Little Whinging, Surrey.

Frustrated Harry decided it was time to go back to number 4. He hoped that the books he had requested would be there by now. That way he could forget all about the oddity that was Tonks. He had perfect timing. As soon as he walked into his room there was a soft tap on his window. The sight of Hedwig, carrying a small parcel, was one for sore eyes. He let her in, gave her a treat and graciously accepted the items she carried. "Thank you, girl." The bird let out a small squawk, as if to say "of course."

Harry unwrapped the package to discover several small books, clearly under a shrinking charm. It took almost 30 minutes for the charm to wear off, but as soon as it did Harry had opened _Mental Mastery: The Beginners Guide to Mind Magic _and flipped quickly to the section on Occlumency.

An hour later and Harry sat on the ground, legs crossed, eyes closed, breathing deeply in and out. Occlumency required proficiency in meditation, the ability of a person to separate themselves from their emotions. To reach a calm no matter the situation. The most important thing the book emphasized was that the emotions not be disregarded or hid away. It was about acceptance and confronting those emotions, not bottling them up. The internal confrontation hadn't been easy for Harry. He replayed moments of his life again and again in his head, moments that hurt, moments that he did not want to think about, but he had to. If he didn't he would not get anywhere with occlumency training. Harry Potter cried himself to sleep that night; he cried until he couldn't cry anymore.

The next couple of days he started to develop a routine. He would begin the morning with some physical exercise, stopped at the park for about an hour and then returned to his relative's home to meditate and study. The meditation proved useful in more ways than one. Harry felt happier; he felt healthier. He began to come to terms with many things he refused to confront before. Meditating also seemed to help him with his other studies. He could remember information better and make connections better than before. Runes and Arithmancy intrigued him, and he immediately regretted not taking them in third year. They had so many applications and so much potential. The way to two played off of each other compelled him to read more and more.

Jump ahead another week and the boy sat meditating, for the first time sensing his magical core. The realization invigorated him. As he focused on it he could feel the magic coursing through his entire body. From that point on Harry Potter understood himself better than ever before. It was intimate. It was primal. It was true. A more true experience than any he had experienced in the last 15 years. The prospects of understanding were exhilarating. Soon he would give his magic a form, a body, within his mind. The next step in his occlumency studies required creating a Sanctuary, as the book called it. A Sanctuary gave structure and body to the internal world. It allowed the individual to protect, to defend their thoughts and their memories. He fell asleep that night excited at the prospects of starting construction on his Sanctuary. Unfortunately he would not get that chance.

"Boy! Get up!" His uncle violently pounded on Harry's bedroom door._ Merlin, what did I do?_ "I said get up, Boy! One of your freaks is here!" Harry could here shuffles outside of his door as he scrambled to get dressed. As he got his pants on the door to his bedroom glided open and in walked… Bellatrix Lestrange? Harry reached for his wand. In an instant he had it drawn on the woman.

"Foolish boy. Put that down." As she spoke the words of Nymphadora Tonks echoed in his head. "_She does bare an uncanny resemblance to Bellatrix."_

"I am not a boy." He said defiantly.

"I will continue to call you boy as long as you continue to act like one. Now, boy, I said put down that wand." Harry lowered his wand. "Good, now I presume you know who I am? Nymphadora insisted she spoke to you."

"Mrs. Tonks?" He still gripped the wand, ready to react at any time.

"Yes, but I suppose you can call me Andromeda. Now may I call you Harry?" Harry started to say yes, but she continued along before he got the chance. "Now Harry, ready your things. We will be leaving shortly."

"Leaving? Mrs. Tonks… I mean, Andromeda, where exactly are we going?"

"First to Gringotts, for the will reading of Sirius, then I suppose wherever you would like after that. You will have a number of options from what I can gather." _Will? Sirius's will? _He didn't know if he could handle that. Not right now. Then again, what choice did he have? While he sat dumbfounded Andromeda grew impatient. With a flick of her wand Harry's possessions gathered near his feet and were promptly shrunken down. "Come along." With that Harry was off. Off to hear the will of the late Sirius Orion Black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I wish I did. Despite that, I hope you enjoy my spin on it. **

**A/N: Sorry guys. Hectic life. Promise I will be writing regularly now. Please, please, please tell me what you think. I really appreciate it if you do.**

**Chapter 2:**

In under a minute of leaving his uncle's home, Harry and Andromeda stood on the steps of Gringotts bank. She walked in the building, expecting him to follow and assuming that he would. She marched up to the counters, her presence commanding.

"State your business." The goblin was short statured and wrinkled. He spoke with a sharp, cutting tone.

"Andromeda Tonks representing Harry James Potter, here for the will reading of Lord Sirius Orion Black. The reading is not scheduled for another hour, but in the meantime my client requests a private meeting room. Following the reading of the will he will require a meeting with his account manager.."

"This way please." Harry did not like the look on the face of the goblin. Something about the grin unnerved Harry. In all honesty, something about goblins unnerved him. The thought made him somewhat sad. He didn't have any basis for the prejudice, other than ignorance that is. Harry Potter did not want to be ignorant anymore. The goblin deposited them in a small room with a table surrounded by five chairs. Andromeda quickly took a seat, but Harry made a point to turn towards the goblin before he left.

"Uh… th-thank you… um I am sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

"Gornuk." The goblin turned and began to walk away.

"Thank you, Gornuk!"

Gornuk stopped in his tracks. He tilted his head slightly, almost as if to turn around. Even from the side, Harry could see the devilish grin. "You are welcome, Mr. Potter."

Harry walked further into the room. "Please, close the door and have a seat, Harry. We don't have much time."

"Can we take a step back for a second, Mrs. Tonks?"

"Andromeda."

"Sorry, Andromeda. What exactly is going on?"

"Well, Harry, Sirius's will reading is today. I am assuming you haven't heard much about it?" She looked to the young man for confirmation. "I thought not. Where to begin? I don't mean to startle you, but there are some things you need to know. There are some conclusions that Sirius was arriving at near the end of his time. They concern one particular Headmaster, that I think you are quite familiar with."

"I think I know what you are going to say. I can't trust the man. I realize that now." The older witch seemed a bit taken back. Harry waited for her to react, but when she didn't he just kept talking. He told her about the realizations he had come to, and the frustration he held for the old geezer.

"I hadn't heard all the details. I am afraid we uncovered some more though." Harry's face paled a bit as Andromeda pulled out some papers from a folder she had been carrying. "It seems Dumbledore has accessed some of your finances. Not too extensively. I think his abilities in that area were limited, but he did what he could. It's hard to tell exactly what he did with your money. As far as we can tell, some of it has gone to the Order of the Phoenix, some of it to the Weasleys and the rest seems to have just disappeared, presumably into the Headmaster's private vault."

Harry shook with anger. How dare the old man touch his inheritance, how dare he defile what was left of the Potters. He had been angry before. Now he was infuriated. "How could this happen?"

"You need to calm down Harry. I understand why you are angry. Unfortunately what he did wasn't entirely illegal. He convinced your aunt to sign over certain… responsibilities. Her concession ensured he had access to your finances. Fortunately he could only take money. He could not remove any of the Potter heirlooms or your parents' personal belongings.

"It is highly likely that the Headmaster will be at the proceedings today, if only briefly. As long as Sirius did not leave him anything in the will then we can have him removed. He will attempt to stay on the basis of your legal representation, but that we solved this morning. Given this I suggest that you get a handle on your emotions. Now a lot is going to happen when we get in there…" Andromeda continued on detailing many of the conflicts that could arise as well as who would likely be there. It wasn't long before a goblin named Cragnott came to accompany them to the reading.

As they walked into the room Harry politely thanked Cragnott and took a seat towards the back. Mrs. Tonks gave him a cloak so that he could stay by the others as they began to walk in. Remus came first followed quickly by Nymphadora. Harry wanted to speak to them but Andromeda insisted that he remained, head down, in his seat. He had time to talk to them afterwards. The elder Tonks gave instructions to the younger to maintain her distance for the time being. Dumbledore came next. When Harry saw the bearded wizard his body tensed. It took all he had not to express his anger right then and there.

Soon everyone had arrived, the Weasleys, Draco and his mother, and even Hermione. Cragnott stood at the head of the room and soon called the room to order. "Excuse me everyone. Could you quiet down please? The reading will begin following any business anybody would like to bring forth. On that note does anyone wish to bring anything to the floor?"

Andromeda moved to stand, but Harry reached out and stopped her. They briefly discussed, earlier, what Andromeda intended to say, but Harry decided to make a statement. Andromeda would not rule him the same way that Dumbledore had. He stood up and removed the hood, ignoring the soft murmurs that followed. "I, Harry James Potter, on the grounds of legal relation to the deceased, do request of the goblin Cragnott that any individual not expressly mentioned in my godfather's will be asked to leave."

"As you wish, Mr. Potter. Will Harry Potter, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Malfoy, Fred Weasley and George Weasley please remain? All others are to leave immediately or else you will be removed by force. "

Most people in the room were quick to leave. Arthur got up immediately encouraging the rest of his family to follow.

Ron seemed furious. "That's ridiculous why do the twins get anything? I should get something too! We all should." This made Harry furious. Arthur quickly grabbed the youngest Weasley boy by the shoulder and forced him out.

"Arthur what are you doing? The boy is right! How could Sirius be so ungrateful? After everything we have done."

Harry had never really seen Arthur stand up to his wife. That's why when he did it came as quite a shock.

"Molly! Out! Now!" It seemed to shock Mrs. Weasley as well. She walked out of the room, mouth hanging open, staring at her husband.

Unsurprisingly, Dumbledore chose not to comply with the request. "Harry my boy what are you doing. You should be at your aunt and uncle's home. I will be happy to stay in your stead, but it is not safe."

Harry ignored him. Instead he turned his focus back towards Cragnott. "If I am not mistaken, Master Goblin, your list did not have Albus Dumbledore anywhere in it."

"You are correct Mr. Potter. Guards!" The goblin warriors to the side of Cragnott brought their spears down and quickly surrounded the wily headmaster. The old man gasped in shock.

"Now hold on!" They moved closer. "Hold on just one second! As the magical guardian of Harry I have a legal right to be here!"

The goblin laughed, a full, hearty laugh and smiled, a cold, almost evil smile. "Unfortunately, Lord Dumbledore, it would appear that, just this morning in fact, you were replaced. Magical guardianship of Harry Potter has been granted to Andromeda Tonks."

Things moved quickly from there. The goblins escorted a fuming Albus Dumbledore out of the area and Cragnott pulled out a piece of parchment. He unrolled it and allowed it to float into the air. That's when Sirius began to speak. It must have been the same magic used to make a howler except now the voice of Harry's godfather came out gentle and somber.

"I guess if you are hearing this then I have passed on." Tears rolled down Harry's cheek. "Ironically I am not very good at this _serious _business if you catch my drift." The voice let out a small chuckle. "So I will try to keep this short."

"To Fred and George Weasley, I leave 10,000 galleons, to be invested in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, because in these dark times laughter truly is the best medicine."

"Dearest Cissa, as you requested and by my power as Lord Black I have ensured the swift destruction of your marriage, should you still wish it. All you need to do is sign a few forms, and it will be done."

"Andy and Nymphadora, HAH! Can't stop me from calling you that now NYMPHADORA!" Tonks seemed fairly put out by his use of her first name. "I hereby reinstate you as members if the House of Black and extend the invitation to any children you may have or any spouses you may take. **Cough** Ted **Cough**." Andromeda was visibly distraught. Her joy radiated for everyone in the room to see.

"Remus, old friend," by the sound of it Sirius was tearing up now. "There is so much I could say to you. Alas, my good man, I think you know most of it. You are the most loyal friend anyone could ever ask for. You are the last of us. The last true marauder. I have some requests, Moony, things I wish I could have done and things I hope you will do for yourself. Take care of yourself. Don't run away just because of what you are. You are not alone. Remember that. You are never alone. I am leaving you a couple of things to make sure you do this. First off, 100,000 galleons, buy yourself some new clothes, be comfortable, be happy. Next, I leave you Number 12. I know that it is drab and dank, but if anyone can spruce it up I think it would be you Remus. It also has everything you need for that time of the month. Use it well. Also, make sure you get him Remus, no matter what it take, make sure that Peter pays for what he has done." The rage was apparent in Sirius's voice as he discussed the rat animagus. "Last but not least, Moony, look after our boy. Look after Harry. He will need you now, so don't you dare shy away from the world.

"Harry. My boy. I love you so much. We all do. I want you to know just how proud of you I am and just how proud your parents are too. We will always be here with you. We will always be watching you. You are a great boy and I know that in time you will become a great man, the greatest of men. Be careful Harry. You can never be too careful. I have left instructions for Andy and Remus regarding certain things and I hope that they can help you in what is to come. To you I leave everything else I have. I leave you the title Lord Black, the land and money that come with as well as my own personal vaults. I leave you emancipated. You have not been a child for sometime. Nobody that has gone through what you have could maintain that innocence. So, go and make your own decisions. I believe in you Harry, and I love you. Goodbye."

By the end of it everyone in the room had a tear stained face, even Narcissa and the twins. Remus got up ad walked over to Harry. He gave the young man the strongest possible hug he could, and Harry hugged him back. Neither let go for some time.

The goblins got to work quickly. They immediately had paperwork for everyone to sign. Harry officially became the Lord Potter and the Lord Black. Exactly what those titles entailed he did not yet know. In the end Sirius did manage to play a prank of sorts. Unbeknownst to him the forms that Narcissa signed certainly did annul her marriage with Lucius, but they also held a provision to the Lord Black. Per the contract she was required to stay with Harry, wherever he ended up at this point "for both their good" according to Sirius. Narcissa would henceforth be tutoring Harry on the in and outs of Wizarding politics, something he was no doubt dreading. In return he would provide her protection as a Lord of two noble houses.

Following this revelation Harry met with his account managers accompanied by both black sisters now. Sharpclaw and Gnarlbark provided Harry with brief descriptions of the families' financial histories and gave him several documents to look over. The focused first and foremost on all real estate that Harry now owned so that he could find himself a home. His main desire was for the property to be one of the Potter houses and in the end the group decided on Potter Manor itself. From Harry's point of view it allowed him to experience some of his family's rich history. To Narcissa it would be an excellent platform for politics, easily able to house an elegant ball. Andromeda insisted that it would have the best protections of the Potter properties.

The rest of his time at Gringotts that day was short lived. He was mentally and physically exhausted by the end of it, in no mood to visit his vaults or go over the details of his investments. He scheduled another appointment with the goblin's later in the week.

"I will see you soon my Lord." Andromeda gave a slight bow. It seemed that she took her reinstatement into the family quite seriously. "You are scheduled to be back here in three days time, my office is just down the street. I think it would be best if we meet then."

"It's just Harry, Andromeda, just Harry. I guess I will see you in three days then. For now I would like to go get some rest."

"Understood, my– Harry. Goodbye. Goodbye, Cissy."

"Goodbye, Andy."

With that Andromeda left them behind.

Now in possession of the Potter and Black family rings, either would act as a portkey to the various properties. The Potter ring had a gold band, with the image of a white stag in front of a tree with crimson leaves and framed by banners. The banners had words written in a language he could not understand, but somehow he understood: **There is meaning in all things.**_ Must be something to do with the ring's magic._ He thought to himself. It was this ring that eventually took him and Narcissa to the steps of Potter Manor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I wish I did. Despite that, I hope you enjoy my spin on it.**

**A/N: **

**Sooooo… Just want to address reviews before I get to Chapter 3. I know that it seems kind of cliché form the last chapter. I promise that it is gonna veer. What you may think is happening from Harry's point of view, may not be what is happening in reality. Just keep that in mind. I don't want to give away too much though. **

**Chapter 3:**

Harry and Narcissa stood in large courtyard. Cobblestones lied beneath their feet and to either side vast flowerbeds prospered. The manor itself was nice creamy white, with a rich red roof and windows on all sides. The cobblestones grew into stairs that climbed their way towards large double doors that were the same red as the roof. As they made their way up the stairs the doors opened for them. In the doorway stood three house elves. They were well kept, for what Harry had seen of the servant race.

"My lord," the middle elf chirped. "It is our honor to welcome you home. It has been some time."

Harry just stood, dumbfounded. "Thank you. Very much. Um… what are your names exactly?"

"Tippy," said the left, a girl.

"Nobby," said the middle, a boy.

"Linni," the right was another girl.

"It's very nice to meet you. I'm Harry. This is Narcissa."

Tippy seeming very happy said, "Oh we no who you are, my Lord. We have been waiting. Waiting a very long time. You have grown an awful lot master Harry. We are very happy to have you back."

Following a fairly painful bout of screaming, that came from the elves, regarding the possibility of setting them free, they insisted on giving Harry and Narcissa a tour. Harry really didn't understand what they had gotten so upset about. He offered them escape from the bond that held them. Apparently though the bond was required for house elves to some degree. He made a mental note to ask Dobby how he managed without it the next time he saw the spunky elf.

They showed them the ballroom first; after all, it was directly in front of the entrance. Lavish chandeliers hung from the ceiling and the walls seemed to glow under their light. The room easily fit a large procession. The elves then escorted them through a variety of tearooms and studies on the ground floor until they came to a massive library. Shelves climbed three stories, and while it wasn't as deep as the Hogwarts library it certainly rivaled its size. They moved on towards a kitchen, dining room and parlor area before they were taken upstairs.

The top floor housed primarily bedrooms and bathrooms except for the area directly above the ballroom. A recreational room of sorts occupied that space. According to Nobby the room had been seriously charmed and warded to endure heavy spell fire, and it was equipped with training dummies and targets. He would definitely make use of this room when he could.

Harry chose the bedroom that use to belong to his grandparents. After all it was the largest with a king size bed and a master bathroom attached. Reaching into his pockets he pulled out his shrunken possessions. "Mrs. Malfoy would you mind enlarging this for me?" His voice was shaky. He didn't know exactly how to act with Narcissa; she made him uncomfortable in more ways than one. He would have to get over that.

Before she had a chance to respond though Linni, with a snap of her fingers, had the trunks back to their original size.

"My lord, I would kindly remind you that I am, thankfully, no longer a Malfoy. If you must be so formal then I insist you call me Ms. Black. However I would prefer you call me Narcissa, or even Cissy I suppose. We are family now."

"Um… alright Cissy. I am sorry. That will take some getting use to. No more of this my lord stuff though. At least not here. Here I am just Harry, please?"

"As you wish, Harry. If I may also remind you that as an emancipated lord, you are removed from the restrictions of underage magic, and were fully capable of doing that yourself." Narcissa gave him a smile that was surprisingly… warm. The remark wasn't the least bit condescending, merely direct, and outright. She picked the room across the hall from him and then the elves showed them the final piece of the house.

Behind the manor a beautiful patio area framed a large pool, and off to the side of that a professional quidditch pitch stood, well-groomed and appearing ready for use. Both made Harry extremely excited. The thing that caught his eye the most, though, was a beautiful forest beyond both. Something about the forest called to him. He could feel something deep inside of him urging him towards it. For a brief second he even thought he could hear a soft singing coming from the trees. He didn't know for how long he had been staring out into the trees before Tippy started, excitedly asking if the pair would like dinner.

"What are master's favorite's? I am sure we could have them! Tippy would be so happy to prepare dinner for Master Harry."

Harry smiled at the small elf and couldn't help being reminded of Dobby. "Anything you would like to make me, Tippy, I am sure will be fine."

"How about for you, my lady?"

"Whatever you make young Harry will be fine for me. Thank you, Tippy."

The elf popped away cheerfully. "Will the two of you give us a bit of time alone?" Harry asked the other two. "I would like to have a word with… Cissy." Nobby and Linni nodded their heads and popped away soon after. Harry and Narcissa made their way into one of the small sitting rooms before they said much.

"What is it you want to discuss Harry?" Her tone conveyed concern masked by a stiffness that could come only from years of forced politeness.

"Bloody hell, Narcissa!" She was visibly taken aback. "Lighten up. I am 15. The same age as your son. You don't need to be so damn polite."

Apparently it worked. Shocked by his blatancy Cissy let out a large breath and visibly relaxed. She pulled her hair from the bun that held it and let her long blonde mane flow down her shoulders. "I am sorry, Harry. It's hard you know?" Harry couldn't believe how different the woman in front of him now was from the other just moments before. "You have to understand. It's been years since I have been anything other than Lucius's pureblood prize wife. All I have known is parties, galas and playing host to the pureblood elites. Sirius granted me a gift. One I thought he would deny. I am grateful, to him, and to you."

"That is exactly what I wanted to talk about. Why did he do it? Why did you want out?"

"My marriage had never been good. Especially not during the first war, and even worse for the last year. Lucius is a fool that bowed down to a madman, and I was forced to endure the repercussions. My aunt and uncle, the ones that had arranged the marriage, never would have agreed to the annulment, but I always had hope that Sirius would. I had to beg Andromeda to give him my request when he broke out of Azkaban. Thank merlin she agreed."

"Why was this a part of the agreement? You staying here, with the new Lord Black, with me?"

"I think Sirius saw it coming. In some sick way he knew he wouldn't survive this war. He may not have trusted me as much as I would have liked, but I think he trusted me more than he did Dumbledore in the end. You just inherited two lordships. The implications of that are far reaching, and the knowledge of those implications you are sorely lacking. Wizarding politics have been my life for 20 years. Who better to teach you?"

"And you are okay with this?"

"Absolutely."

With that their conversation had come to an end and just in time. Tippy popped into the sitting room to usher the pair towards dinner.

The food was the best that Harry could remember having. Tippy prepared a feast, the majority of which would likely go to waste, but it did not seem like the elf cared much. It had been a long time since she last cooked for the family she cared about and she was ecstatic. The other elves expressed a similar feeling, joy at once again having a lord in the house of Potter.

Table talk that evening went fairly smoothly. They discussed school briefly and what Harry wanted to be when he was older. They discussed what Narcissa herself wished she could have done before being pawned away as a Lucius's trophy. Narcissa criticized his study of divination and barely deemed care of magical creatures acceptable, but he could not fault her for that. Divination had been a joke ever since he started taking it, and while he loved Hagrid dearly his teaching methods were often eccentric. Cissy told Harry that despite his distaste for her earlier disposition, he would undoubtedly have to learn to project the same façade. He would soon be thrust onto the political stage and would need to know how to navigate it.

"Master Harry, sir," Nobby came back in near the end of the meal. "A blubbering white owl has founds its way into the house. It doesn't appear to be carrying any mail from what I can see. We tried to get it to stay still, but that blasted owl is feisty, and keeps pecking at our heads anytime we get near it."

"Thanks goodness Hedwig found her way here." The elf did not seem amused with Harry's enthusiasm.

"If you could, Master Harry, come get the bird? It is causing Linny and Tippy a great deal of trouble."

"Oh of course!" Harry walked quickly into the room Nobby showed him to. The sight he found made him laugh hysterically. The two elves were bouncing around the room trying to catch Hedwig while the beautiful snowy owl toyed with them just out of reach. "Hedwig, please leave Tippy and Linni alone?" Upon hearing his voice the owl flew towards him and landed on his shoulder. "Thank yo—OW!" Hedwig pecked at the side of his head. "What was that for?" The owl just puffed up her chest. It was almost as if she was telling him he should know exactly what it was for. "I am sorry, girl. Finding this place must not have been easy… But I knew you could do it." Another puff. He knew that would work. Compliments, Hedwig loved them. In many ways the messenger had an ego the size of Draco, but at least hers seemed to be for a good reason.

Following the altercation Harry resigned to his room for the night, bringing his owl with him. He had no intention of going to bed anytime soon, but there were several things he wanted to do in private. He settled into his room; it appeared the elves had unpacked most of his belongings. He grabbed a few pieces of parchment, and sat down in his bed to write a few letters.

He started with one to Hermione. He didn't know where to start or how much to divulge. He wanted to trust her, so badly, but how could he know where she stood? He didn't end up saying anything of much consequence. He told her he was safe. Hopefully that would stop her from Harry's insistence on security. He told her how much he regretted being unable to speak with her at the will reading, and he asked to meet with her, if she could manage to get away from the Weasley's.

He then started writing one for Remus. Moony was one of the last connections he had to his parents and one of the few people left that Harry felt truly cared about him. Harry asked if he had moved into number 12 yet. He also invited Remus over for an afternoon, if he felt up to it. He had a much easier time writing the letter to his former professor than he did the one to Hermione.

It was late by the time he finished working on both of them. "Hedwig, would you mind taking these for me in the morning?" The owl hooted what sounded like an affirmation." Be careful with the one from Hermione though. Try not to let anyone see you; they all know you too well." He put out the lights and climbed back into bed for the evening. Despite his exhaustion sleep escaped him for some time. His thoughts of all that happened that day raced through his mind, but eventually he drifted off into a soft slumber.

**A/N 2: Hey, so I haven't decided on pairings yet and I wanted to know what everyone would like to see. I would love it if you reviewed or sent me a pm with input. Do you think multiple wives should be required for Harry? Who do you want him to end up with? Who do you want anyone else in the story to end up with?  
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**Also don't forget to tell me what you think! I always appreciate feedback.**


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